Sambar Recipe, How to make Vegetable Sambar without Sambar Powder | Sambar Recipe

Sambar Recipe with vegetables – a easy recipe to make sambar without sambar powder. For people who knows what is sambar?? Its made from lentils and is similar to a stew with lots of veggies. This Sambar Recipe is my mom’s recipe and no sambar powder is required. I never used to liked Sambar in my childhood however I have developed taste for Sambar few years back and make them atleast once a week.

Lots of veggies goes in Sambar. You can use drumsticks, brinjals, pumpkin, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, jackfruit seeds, ladies finger etc. Sambar is low fat, lots of vitamins and proteins. Great to have during winter or rainy season. Add veggies of your choice for instance I have added jack fruit seed, carrots, brinjal which are optional.

Sambar is made with yellow lentils (arhar or toor dal). I have made sambar in a wok / vessel. But you could make them in pressure cooker too as it’s easy and saves a lot of time. There are various kind of sambar made towards Southern India. We eat sambar-rice with fried papads, pickle or fried fish goes well with it.

I remember as a child we used to eat lot of dosas, appams and idlis with hot piping sambar in udipi restaurant in Matunga – Mumbai. We have eaten a lot of south indian tiffin snacks at Radha Krishna Hotel Andheri West. In- fact in Pune you have many hotel serving south indian snacks like Ram-Krishna Camp Pune, Jyoti Restaurant Kondhwa, Dawangere Loni (homemade butter) Dosa sold on Pune street and Priya restaurant Camp has the best butter uttapam a must try.

Lots of veggies goes in Sambar. You can use drumsticks, brinjals, pumpkin, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, jackfruit seeds, ladies finger etc. Sambar is low fat, lots of vitamins and proteins. Great to have during winter or rainy season.

Generally in South Indian food sambar is eaten with dosa, idlis, steamed rice. Also sambar is a regular food for South Indians. In India people relish sambar and are really fond of eating Sambar. There are lot of versions to make sambar in India. But I love the sambar made from my mom.

Let’s make Sambar Recipe step by step:

1. Firstly chop veggies like carrots, ladies finger and jackfruit seeds (remove the outer covering of Jackfruit and chop them into 2 halves). Immerse them in water and keep it aside.

2. Also take the Tamarind ball and immerse in water for 10 mins. Keep it aside.

10. Add water as consistency required. Cook for another 5 mins on low heat.

11. Immerse tamarind in hot water for n 5 mins. Squeeze the tamarind and use the water. Alternatively you could use tamarind pulp. Pour this tamarind water in the sambar. Add salt as per taste. Cover the sambar with a lid and cook for 15 mins. Keep stirring occasionally.

12. Take another small pan or vessel. Add oil once hot. Put Mustard seeds, rest of curry leaves, 1/2 tbsp hing and rest of red chilies. Saute for 2 mins on low flame.

13. Mix the above tempering (tadka) in the Sambar. Let the sambar cook for another 5 mins.

Add water as consistency required. Cook for another 5 mins on low heat.

Immerse tamarind in hot water for n 5 mins. Squeeze the tamarind and use the water. Alternatively you could use tamarind pulp. Pour this tamarind water in the sambar. Add salt as per taste. Cover the sambar with a lid and cook for 15 mins. Keep stirring occasionally.

Take another small pan or vessel. Add oil once hot. Put Mustard seeds, rest of curry leaves, ½ tbsp hing and rest of red chilies. Saute for 2 mins on low flame.

Mix the above tempering (tadka) in the Sambar. Let the sambar cook for another 5 mins.

1. Soak lentils an hour before cooking them.2. You could use a pressure cooker just cook the lentils until 2 whistles then add all the veggies and simmer.3. Generally in Udipi restaurants sugar is added hence their sambar tastes sweet.4. You could tamarind pulp from the store.5. Add water as consistency required.